Top TV surgeon pays six-figure damages to woman who had a stroke during facelift

A plastic surgeon has agreed a six-figure compensation payout to a woman who suffered a stroke during a facelift operation.

Diane Newbould, 53, sued Jan Stanek for negligence after she was left severely disabled, unable to speak properly and in need of lifetime care.

Mr Stanek, well-known through his role on a reality TV series, is also being sued by BBC newsreader Kate Silverton after laser treatment forced her to stay off work with an allegedly bloated face.

Battle: BBC newsreader Kate Silverton, who is unhappy with her laser treatment, is also suing Mr Stanek

Mrs Newbould will never recover from the facelift and liposculpture operation at a private London hospital in January 2002.

Mr Stanek was accused of failing to take properly into account her medical history and health by going ahead with the surgery.

Yesterday Mrs Newbould's counsel, Simeon Maskrey QC, told London's High Court that Mr Stanek and the anaesthetist, who was also being sued, had agreed to a substantial settlement.

Although the payout amount was kept confidential, her solicitor, Janet Baker, revealed outside court it is 'a significant, six-figure sum'. The settlement was agreed without any admission of liability.

Based in Wimpole Street, London, Mr Stanek is considered to be a leading surgeon and has a high public profile after appearing in the Five series Plastic Fantastic, and the Channel 4 programme 10 Years Younger.

In documents before the court, Mrs Newbould's lawyers alleged not enough account was taken of her 'poor medical history'.

She was obese, a heavy smoker and her medical problems included bronchitis and hypertension.

They claimed she should have been told to 'undergo significant lifestyle changes' - particularly to lose weight and cut down on cigarettes - before surgery.

Mr Maskrey told the court that Mrs Newbould, formerly from Sheffield, was cared for after surgery by her husband, until that became impossible when he suffered two strokes.

The couple recently moved to southern Spain, where Mrs Newbould is cared for by her daughter and son-in-law.

Mr Justice Cranston approved the settlement after a brief hearing today. The family was not in court.

Miss Baker said after the hearing that the family were 'very happy' that the matter had been settled and the payout would be used to cover the costs of future care.

In January Miss Silverton reportedly instructed lawyers to begin legal action after she had treatment at Mr Stanek's clinic.

She said: 'I was told it would be a routine procedure and I'd be back to work in days.

'The treatment, however, caused a massive skin reaction.'

Mr Stanek, an Oxford-educated fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, is a frequent lecturer on 'aesthetic surgery' and has published journal articles and books.

His practice's website refers to operations on more than 10,000 patients in the past 20 years and treatments offered include tummy tucks and breast and cheek implants.